A GROUP of professional punters has been restricted from betting big on horse races at TABs on the Gold Coast after winning about $1 million in six months.
TattsBet CEO Barrie Fletton told LUCY ARDERN of the GOLD COAST BULLETIN: "We are not in the business of giving money away. We manage customers that are overly successful."
Stephen Bradley, who represents a group of about six gamblers from around Australia, said his group has been placing about $200,000 a day at TABs on the Gold Coast.
But the punters were hobbled recently when the TAB began to refuse to accept their usual large bets.
Mr Bradley said the TAB franchisees were now openly telling him that the TattsBet head office did not want their business.
The BULLETIN on Saturday witnessed Mr Bradley being told by the manager of the TAB in Broadbeach that TattsBet had instructed him not to accept Mr Bradley's bets and that if he did, he was in danger of being shut down.
"We were told we couldn't have you in here," the manager told Bradley.
Mr Bradley also visited Surfers Paradise, Mermaid Beach and Chevron Island TABs. At each site staff telephoned TattsBet to ask if Mr Bradley was allowed to gamble.
At Mermaid Beach a staff member said she had been told not to let Mr Bradley bet, but said she would call head office and check if that position had changed.
She told Mr Bradley later that she had been instructed to only accept bets of $500-$800 a race -- just 10 per cent of his usual bets. Staff at the Chevron Island TAB said the same.
At Surfers Paradise TAB Mr Bradley was allowed to gamble as normal, but was told he could be stopped if he started winning.
TattsBet CEO Barrie Fletton admitted the organisation was trying to limit the gambling activities of Mr Bradley and another man who placed bets for the group.
"They are very successful fixed-price punters."
Mr Fletton said the group was welcome to continue betting at the Gold Coast TABs, but only on parimutuel odds.
Parimutuel is a pool betting system where the bookie removes their take first before the payout is calculated for winners -- removing the risk for bookmakers like TattsBet.
Mr Bradley, who described the group of men he worked for as `form analysts' and declined to name them, said it was unfair for TattsBet to refuse his bets just because they were beating the odds.
"If they are prepared to bet inflated odds, they are gambling with their own money.
"I believe TattsBet has a very poor model."
Mr Bradley said the group placed $600,000 to $1 million a week in bets on horse races.
STORY SOURCE: GOLD COAST BULLETIN – NEWS LIMITED
